This stunning bird's-eye view of San Francisco was created by Frederick Hess. The view depicts the growing city from a hillside to the south. Two and three-story buildings fill the city block pattern while pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages fill the streets. In the background, the San Francisco Bay with Alcatraz Island complete the composition. Fortress Alcatraz was completed in 1858 to protect the approaches to San Francisco Bay, and was officially designated as a military prison in 1868. The view is surrounded by 22 vignettes of important buildings and streets in San Francisco, including the city hall, St. Mary's Cathedral, the Cliff House, California Street, and the Grand Hotel, among others.

References: Reps #322.

Condition: A

An excellent impression on clean, bright paper. There are three 1/2" to 1" tears in the bottom vignettes that have been expertly repaired, along with additional expert repairs to some tears and chips confined to blank margins. The top margin has been extended a bit to accommodate framing.